WHICH MATTERS MORE BIKE NETWORKS CONNECTIVITY OR DENSITY?

-> A pair of researchers at the University of Minnesota recently set out to test the theory that a connected bike network where bike lanes provide continuous routes between many possible destinations is a major determinant of how many people bike. What they actually found was a little unexpected. Connected bike infrastructure matters, according to the study, but not as much as the density of bike infrastructure. (The Missing Link: Bicycle Infrastructure Networks and Ridership in 74 US Cities: http://nexus.umn.edu/papers/MissingLink.pdf) These findings suggest that cities hoping to maximize the impacts of their bicycle infrastructure investments should first consider densifying their bicycle network before expanding its breadth, the authors concluded. [http://bit.ly/1E7302A]

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.